Syracuse Chiefs' opening day signals new era: Here are nine things that are different

The first pitch of the Syracuse Chiefs' 2014 season Thursday at NBT Bank Stadium will mark far more than just the start of a new schedule.

It will signify what new General Manager Jason Smorol hopes is a reset of the whole fan experience of what's seen on the field and enjoyed in the stands. There were 2,400 tickets sold (about 400 of those are season tickets) for Thursday's season opener as of Wednesday morning, according to Smorol.

The Chiefs have spent much of the offseason tinkering under the hood of the franchise to help it recover from record-low attendance in 2013 and a deficit of nearly $1 million. That tumult led to a new board of directors and the departure of the John Simone-led front office.

Change was the mandate for Smorol and his staff, and change is what they produced.

There will be many things different about the 2014 Chiefs. Here's the lineup of changes:

1. Manager Bill Gardner Jr.

Gardner moves over to the Washington organization after spending the past seven seasons managing Tampa Bay's Double-A entry in the Southern League, Montgomery.
Also, Washington promoted pitching coach Paul Menhart from Double A Harrisburg and hired former Major Leaguer Joe Dillon as its new hitting coach.

2. Radios

Or, more specifically, the Chiefs' presence on said airwaves. After a year of trying an Internet-only experience that flopped with fans, Syracuse returns to the radio this season on The Score 1260 AM. Jason Benetti and Kevin Brown are back as the team's broadcasters.

3. Bargain Thursdays

General admission seats for every Thursday home game are $3. Also on Thursday, fans can purchase $1 Hofmann Hot Dogs, $1 Coca-Cola products, $1 beer (Saranac, Budweiser & Labatt brands) and $1 programs

4. General manager Jason Smorol

Smorol, former GM of the Auburn Doubledays, took over in the offseason after the team's Board of Directors replaced the regime of Tex and John Simone. Smorol now leads a franchise saddled with challenges, the greatest of which will be shaking fan apathy and digging out of the nearly $1 million hole the team found itself in at the end of last season.

5. Greater parent club stability

The Washington Nationals re-upped as parent club of the Chiefs in the offseason, a move neither unusual nor unexpected. But instead of the typical two-year deal, the Chiefs and Nationals doubled down and agreed to a four-year extension.

6. An improved Hank Sauer Room

The indoor space along the first-base foul line had been almost exclusively used for meetings and group events. Smorol hopes to eventually transition the room into a franchise hall of legends as well, featuring memorabilia from the team's history. A bust of Tex Simone already anchors the front entrance of the room after it was moved from the top of the main steps leading into the concourse.

7. There's "Fun'' back in the Family Fun Park

The team wants to liven up its Family Fun Park behind the right field fence. It hopes to rotate different attractions into the fun zone and will make it free for fans at the game.

8. History on their sleeves

This is the Syracuse Chiefs' 100th season in the International League. To commemorate that occasion, the team has designed a special patch to wear on players' left shoulders of home and road jerseys. The logo incorporates previous Syracuse team logos arranged in the shape of a home plate.